Cable-to-hoist drum attachment mechanism



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47m/@VEZ 'United States Patent O 3,494,595 CABLE-TO-HOIST DRUMATTACHMENT MECHANISM James P. Bohan, Southport, Conn., assignor toUnited Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation ofDelaware Filed June 26, 1968, Ser. No. 740,234 Int. Cl. B66d l/00, 1/34U.S. Cl. 254-150 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cable hoistsystem including a rotating drum having a continuous track mechanism inwhich a sliding block member is positioned for motion relative to thedrum and with the cable end attached thereto and further including ablocking member which rotates with the drum and is biased to extend intothe track passage and is contoured so that the sliding block member canpass thereby when moving in one direction within the track but cannotpass thereby in the other direction so that this arrangement not onlyconnects the cable to the drum but permits the drum to rotate after thecable has been fully paid out without inadvertently rewinding the cableonto the drum in the opposite direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention This invention relates tomechanism for attaching the end of a cable to the hoist drum onto whichthe cable is to be wound and from which the cable is to be paid out and,more particularly, to such mechanism so that the drum can continue torotate after the cable is fully paid out without rewinding the cableonto the drum in the opposite direction.

Description of the prior art In the cable hoist a-rt, the friction ofthe cable on the drum has been used to retain the cable on the drum anddown-limit switches have been used to signal the pilot when the lastthree or so revolutions of the cable remain on the drum so that thepilot may stop the drum from rotating and thereby stop paying out cableand thereby avoid dropping the load. Experience has shown that theselimit switches malfunction and that pilots, due to inadvertence ordistraction, fail to heed their warning signal so that the drumcontinues to rotate and pay out the cable until the cable and load arelost from the drum.

In addition, the prior art constructions have positively anchored thecable end to the drum or reel and while this accomplishes the purpose ofretaining the cable and its load, it presents a serious problem when thedrum continues to rotate after the cable is fully paid out in that thiscontinued rotation of the drum causes the cable to rewind onto the drumin the opposite direction and therefore inadvertently commences hoistingin the load.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is toprovide an improved cable-to-hoist drum connection which not onlyprevents the cable and its pay load from being separated from the drumbut also prevents the cable from being inadvertently rewound onto thedrum if the drum should continue to -rotate after the cable has beenfully paid out.

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In accordance with the present invention, the drum is mounted forrotation in either direction so as to either wind in or pay out thecable and its load and is provided with a continues track or groovede'ning mechanism lwhich rotates with the drum and which carries asliding block therewithin to which the cable end attaches to retain thecable attached to the drum. The invention further includes a blockmechanism which is biased to extend into the track or groove and whichis shaped so that the sliding block may pass thereby when moving withrespect to the drum in one direction but is prevented from passingthereby when moving with respect to the drum in the opposite direction.This one directional or diode-type sliding block prevents the cable frombeing rewound onto the hoist drum or -reel when the drum continues torotate after the cable is fully paid out and also permits the cable tobe `wound upon the drum depending upon the direction of rotation of thedrum.

`Other abjects and advantages will be apparent from the specication andclaims and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodimentof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation of a modernhelicopter of the crane type embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a showing of a hoist system including a cable and drumembodying my invention, and is partially broken away for purpose ofillustration.

FIG. 3 is a side of the embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 2wherein the housing has been removed, the cable unwound, and the drum ispartially broken away for purpose of illustration.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partially broken away showing of a portion of myinvention.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are schematic showings of another embodiment of myinvention for the purpose of illustrating the operation of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 we seemodern aircraft helicopter 10 of the crane type which consists offuselage 12 supported from the landing strip by landing gear 14 and 16and defining pilot compartment 18. Lift rotor 20 is supported forrotation from fuselage 12 and carries rotary blades or Wings 22therewith to generate lift. Engine 24 drives rotor 20. Tail rotor 26,which performs the function of reacting the torque generated by liftrotor 20, is also driven through conventional drive mechanism 28 byengine 24.

Lift or hoist system 30 is supported in fuselage 12 and, as describedhereinafter, carries a cable 32 with a conventional cargo hook 34suspended from the end thereof to be attached to any load which is to becarried by helicopter 10. This load may be a passenger pod, a pallet ofammunition or the like.

Helicopter 10 may be of the type more fully described in U.S. Patent No.2,925,130 and rotor 20, may be either 0f the articulated or rigid rotorltype disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,097,701 and 3,135,335,respectively. Blades 22 may be of the type more fully disclosed in U.S.Patent No- 3,333,642 and engine 24 and transmission therebetween to liftrotor 20 and anti-torque rotor 24 may be of f the type more fullydescribed in U.S. Patent No.

Viewing FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 we see hoist system 30 in greaterparticularity. Hoist system 30 includes drum 40, which is preferablycylindrical and mounted for rotation in clockwise or counterclockwisedirection about axis 42 by drive motor 44. The method of supporting anddriving hoist drum or reel 40 is conventional and may be of the 3 typemore fully disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,403,099. Cable 32 is eitherwound onto in spool fashion or paid out from drum 40 as the drum iscaused to rotate in opposite directions. Disc members, such as 48, arepositioned at the opposite ends of the cable receiving portion of drum40 to prevent the cable from sliding off the ends of drum 40, and may ormay not rotate therewith.

As explained above, it is an important teaching of this inventiontoattach cable 32 to drum 40 so that the load being supported by the cableis not lost if the cable is fully paid out and also, so that if the drumcontinues to rtate after the cable is fully paid out the cable will notrewind upon the drum in the opposite direction from its normal windingaction. The portion of my invention which permits this cable attachmentand anti-rewind function is more fully disclosed in the broken awayportions of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 and includes continuous, annular track orslot 50, which is defined within drum 40 by drum `wall members 52 andtherefore rotates with drum about axis 42, and sliding block member 54which is loosely received in track 50 so that block 54 may slide Withintrack 50 with respect to drum 40, and still further includes stop,blocking or intercepting member 60, which is pivotally connected to drum40 about pivot axis 62 and which is biased by spring 64, which extendsbetween irum housing 52 and blocking member 60, to extend acrosscontinuous, circumferential slot or track 50 aS shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.Spring 64 could also be of the :oil type positioned about axis 62 andreacting against drum 40 to bias blocking members 60 to its FIG. 4 solidline position. It will be obvious that the cross-sectional shape of slot50 may be any shape consistant with the shape of member 54.

By viewing FIGS. 3 and 4 it will be noticed that blocking member 60 ispivotally connected to rotating drum 40 at pivot axis 62 which isrecessed in indented chamber 66in drum housing or wall member 52 sothat, with spring 64 overcome, pivotable blocking member 60 can berecessed fully into recess chamber 66, as shown in phantom in FIG. 4, soas to clear track or slot passage 50 for the passage of sliding member54 therepast. Member 60 may be gravity actuated but is preferably biasedby a suitable mechanism such as spring 64. It will further be noted byviewing FIGS. 3 and 4 that blocking member 60 cannot move in a clockwisedirection past its FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 (solid line) position in view ofthe fact that it abuts recess 70 in drum 40.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 itis important to note that blocking orintercepting member 60 is positioned, supported and selectivelycontoured so that it will not block the passage of sliding block 54 whenthe block 54 :ravels in a counterclockwise direction in track or slot 50of drum 40 but will block the passage of sliding block 54 through trackor slot 50 when drum 40 rotates in a :ounterclockwise direction. Morespecifically, if, as shOwn in FIGS. 3 and 4, drum 40 rotates in aclockwise direc- :ion withl respect to block 54, block 54 would contact:locking member 60 at angular surface 72 and overcome :he force ofspring 64 and depress blocking member 60 into cavity 66 so as to permitthe passage of sliding block 54 thereby. If, however, drum 40 rotates ina counter- :lockwise direction with respect to sliding block 54, wheniliding block 54 reaches blocking member 60, its at iurface 74 comesinto direct engagement with flat surface 76 of blocking member 60. Sinceblocking member 60 is VJrevented by the detent action of recesses 66 and70 from Jivoting further in a clockwise direction as shown in FIGS. 3,and 4, blocking member 60 will prevent the Jassage of sliding block 54therepast in track 50 with re- ;pect to drum 40 and block 54 willthereafter -rotate with lrum 40. Accordingly, it will be seen thatsliding block i4 is free to pass blocking element 60 when drum 40 ro-:ates in a clockwise direction but is not free to pass elenent 60 whendrum 40 rotates in a counterclockwise di- 'ection so that We, in effect,have a mechanical diode.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end of cable 32 opposite to the loadcarrying end is connected in any convenient fashion to sliding block 54and extends therefrom through circumferential slot to the exterior ofdrum 40. It will be noted that circumferential slot 80 communicates withtrack 50 and also communicates with the exterior of drum or reel 40 sothat cable 32 can pass therethrough unrestricted. Slot 80 is denedbetween drum 40 and end plate 82 which is attached thereto in spacedIrelation in conventional fashion and which may be formed in disc 48.

By way of operation of hoist system 30, let us assume that cable 32 iswound onto drum 40 as best shown in FIG. 2 and we wish to lower the loadwhich is suspended from hook 34 at the end of cable 32.

To accomplish this cargo lowering function, the pilot will operate drivemotor 44 and its associated mechanism to cause drum 40 to rotate in aclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. This clockwise rotation of drum40 will cause the Various layers of cable 32 `to be consecutively paidout from drum 40 until the cable is fully paid out and in the conditionshown in FIG. 3. Since the nonload carrying end of the cable 32 isattached to drum 40 by sliding block 54 and is free to move within track50 with sliding block 54 as the drum 40 continues to rotate in aclockwise direction when angular surface 72 of blocking member 60eventually comes into contact with curved surface 78 of sliding block54, and this will occur at the bottom of drum 40 since gravity willcause the free sliding block 54 to assume the bottom-of-thedrumposition, blocking means 60 will be depressed into cavity 66 to permitthe passage of blocking member 60 and sliding block 54 past each otherso that drum 40 can continue to rotate in a clockwise direction withoutinadvertently rewinding cable 32 onto drum 40 in the opposite directionto its normal winding motion.

If, with cable 32 in its fully paid-out condition as shown in FIG. 3,the pilot wished to hoist the load or rewind the cable onto the drum 40,he actuates drive motor 44 so as to cause drum 40 to rotate in acounterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3 so that, with slidingblock 54 and cable 32 remaining at the bottom of rotating drum 40,blocking member 60 will be carried with drum 40 in a counterclockwisedirection until it eventually travels through almost 350 in thatdirection from its FIG. 3 position until atsurface 76 thereof contactscorresponding at surface 74 of sliding block 54, whereupon, due to thecoaction of blocking member 60 against detents 70 and 66, blockingmember 60 will prevent the passage of sliding block 54 therepast intrack 50 and thereby cause sliding block S4 and hence cable 32 to rotatein a counterclockwise direction with drum 40 and thereby wind or rewindcable 32 onto drum 40.

A second embodiment of my invention is shown in FIGS. 5-7 and will notbe described. Reference numerals have been used in FIGS. 5-7 whichcorrespond wherever possible with the reference numerals already used todescribe corresponding apparatus in the FIG. 2-4 construction. The FIG.5-7 construction differs from the FIGS. 2-4 construction in that itutilizes two blocking members 60a and 60b which are pivotally connectedto rotating drum 40 at pivot points 62a and 62b and which are biasedtoward one another by spring member 64, which may be either attached toboth blocking members 60a and 60b as shown or may extend between enddiscs 46 and 48 of drum 40 and the blocking members, or may be of t6he27coil variety and concentric about pivot axes 62a and As ybest shown inFIG. 5 hoist drum 40 is rotating in a counterclockwise direction asindicated and carrying blocking members 60a and 60b therewith so thatthey extend across track 50 to block the passage of sliding block 54thereby. Sliding blo-ck 54 is riding in the bottom of annular track 50and is shown in FIG. 5 in a position where blocking members 60a and 60bare positively contacting sliding block 54 and carrying sliding block 54and hence cable 32, which is attached to sliding block 54, therewith incounterclockwise rotation with drum 40 so as to vcause cable 32 to windonto drum 40 in layer fashion, thereby hoisting the loadY which isattached to the other end of cable 32.

If it is desired to lower the load, the cable is caused to unwind fromdrum 40 by causing the drum to rotate in a clockwise direction as shownin FIGS. 6 and 7. After the last layer of cable 32 has been paid out,and drum 40 continues to rotate in a clockwise direction, blockingmembers 60a and 62 will continue to rotate in that clockwise directionwith drum 40 while sliding block 54 and cable 32 will ride in the bottomof circumferential track 50. Each time that blocking members 60a and 60brevolve so as to be at the bottom of drum 40, they encounter slidingblock 54 and, due to their selectively contoured surfaces 72a and 72b,which coact with selectively contoured surfaces 78a and 78b of slidingblock 54, blocking members 60a and 60h are caused to pivot about theirpivot axes 62a and 62b into their FIG. 6 position to permit slidingblock 52 and hence cable 32 to pass thereby in track 50 so that thecontinued clockwise rotation of drum 40 after cable 32 is fully paid outwill not cause cable 32 to rewind onto drum 40 in the direction oppositeto the normal cable winding action.

Hoist drum 40 is preferably housed in housing 90 as shown in FIG. 2.Should the pilot wish to release cable 32 and its load from drum 40 onan emergency basis, remotely actuatable guillotine assembly 92 isprovided as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Guilloti'ne assembly 92 may beof the knife-edge or scissors type.

While the invention has been described in the aircraft cable-hoist drumenvironment, it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in theart that it is equally applicable to any environment in which a loadcarrying line or cable must be reeled-in and paid-out.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a hoist system:

(l) a hoist drum mounted for rotation and adapted to have aload-carrying cable wound thereonto and paid out therefrom in responseto drum rotation,

(2) means adapted to attach the end of the cable to the drum and topermit said drum to rotate after the cable has been fully paid outwithout having the cable rewind onto the drum comprising:

(a) continuous track slot-defining means adapted for rotation with saiddrum,

(b) a slidable member received loosely in said slot-defining means so asto be freely movable therearound and adapted to have the cable endattached thereto,

(c) stop means attached to said drum for rotation therewith andpositioned and biased so as to extend into said slot-defining means andselectively shaped so that as said slidable member moves in saidslot-defining means with respect to said drum in a first direction, saidslidable member will displace said stop means and pass thereby and,further, so that as said slidable member moves with respect to said drumin said slot-defining means in the opposite direction, said slidablemember will positively abut said stop means so that said slidable memberthereafter is not free to move in said second direction with respect tosaid drum.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stop means is pivotallyconnected to said drum and spring biased so as to normally extend acrosssaid slot-defining means.

3. A hoist system including:

(1) a cyclindrical hoist drum mounted for rotation about an axis andincluding:

(a) a continuous circumferential track mechamsm,

(2) a slide member slidably connected to said track mechanism and freeto move thereabout with respect to said hoist drum,

(3) an intercepting member pivotally connected to said hoist drum andbiased so as to normally intercept the path of said slide member aboutsaid track mechanism and being selectively shaped so that said slidemember will depress said intercepting member when travelling about saidtrack mechanism in a rst direction so as to pass by said interceptingmember and, further, so that said slide member will positively abut andbe restrained by said intercepting member from further motion about saidtrack mechanism with respect to said drum in the opposite direction,

(4) a hoist cable having one end connected to said slide member so as tomove .therewith about said track mechanism and to be wound therefromabout said hoist drum so that as said drum is rotated in a rstdirection, said cable is paid out from said drum to lower any loadattached to the cable and, so that, when said cable is fully paid outfrom said drum said cable is still attached to said drum through saidslide member and is able to move about said track mechanism with saidslide member with respect to said drum as said drum continues to rotatein said first direction without rewinding onto said drum, and, furtherso that, as said drum is rotated in the opposite direction, said slidemember will abut said stop member and be prevented from further motionthereby about said track mechanism so that said cable will Wind ontosaid hoist drum, thereby elevating any load attached from the cable.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 and including means to cause saidhoist dnum to rotate in both a clockwise and a counterclockwisedirection.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said track mechanism is acontinuous annular chamber concentric about said drum axis of rotationand positioned within said drum and is of substantially rectangularcross-section to receive said slide member and which includes acircumferential slot communicating therewith and with the exterior ofsaid drum and through which slot said cable Ipasses and is free totravel with respect to said drum as 4said slide member moves withrespect to said drum.

6. A cable hoist system including:

(l) a hoist drum mounted for rotation about an axis So that cable may bepaid out therefrom or wound thereonto as said drum is rotated about saidaxis, and including:

(a) a continuous track means extending around said drum,

(2) sliding block means slidably connected to said track means formotion thereabout with respect to said drum and adapted to receive acable end,

(3) blocking means connected to said drum for rotation therewith andpositioned with respect to said track means and shaped to permit passageof said sliding block therepast with respect to said dnum in a firstdirection and to Iprevent passage of said sliding block therepast withrespect to said drum in the opposite direction.

7. In a hoist system:

(1) a hoist drum mounted for rotation and adapted to have aload-carrying cable wound thereonto and paid out therefrom in responseto drum rotation,

(2) continuous track means connected to said drum for rotationtherewith,

7 (3) means adapted to connect the end of the vcable to the said trackmeans and to slidably carry the cable end in said track means when saidcable has been fully paid out to thereby prevent the cable rewindingonto the drum. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 and including rousingmeans to house said hoist drum.

9. Apparatus according to claim. 7 and including means )perativelyassociated with said hoist drum and actuatable o disconnect the cablefrom the hoist drum.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS s/1953 Badik 242-1-117 7/1956sarah 242-125.1

